


Growing

by myamya



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, brotherly interactions, everyone is growing up, leon is trying, only rated T bc of mentions of alcohol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 04:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30033012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myamya/pseuds/myamya
Summary: While helping Hop movie into his very first place, Leon starts to realise that he missed a lot of Hop's growing up and that maybe they aren't as close as they used to be. It's funny how working away for so long puts a strain on one's relationships, isn't it?Alternatively: Leon learns how to be a brother again (with the help of Raihan, of course).
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Sonia, Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Growing

**Author's Note:**

> So Wyndon and Postwick are super far away from each other and it got me thinking, I wonder how often Leon actually got to go home and spend time with his family? I imagine being the Champion kept him pretty busy. It must have been tough. It also kinda seemed like Hop idealised their relationship in the games, he just loves his big bro.
> 
> Anyway enjoy! This'll have a happier ending, don't worry haha

**_Leon  
_ ** _i dunno if he's even home rai  
...  
maybe he 4got that he told me to come round_

**_Raihan (third best trainer in Galar now lollll)  
_ ** _doubt it, hes not as forgetful as u. just shout his name out or let urself in or w/e, he probs won't care_

**_Leon  
_ ** _nah, thats rude innit??_

**_Raihan (third best trainer in Galar now lollll)  
_ ** _u walk into my home unannounced all the time. but he's ur bro, u kno him best_

Leon stood at the door of the flat, trying to peer in through the small window in the middle of it. The frosted glass kind of warped everything though and all he could see was vague blob-like shapes. Hop had told him to come over early-afternoon but from the lack of movement inside and the lack of response when he'd first knocked, he was convinced his brother wasn't even home.

Hop was moving, you see. He'd been working with Sonia for a couple of months now and had been commuting from the family home in Postwick every day. It wasn't a particularly long journey to Wedgehurt, an hour by (the very infrequent) public transport or half an hour by car, which now that Hop had his license, was his preferred method of travel. He still couldn't believe that, that his baby brother was able to drive when he himself still couldn't. It wasn't lack of interest or anything, he'd just never had the time to learn, what with the Champion duties and everything.

But anyway, now that he was on a salary _and_ earning a bit of bees and honey from exhibition matches Hop had decided to bite the bullet and get his own place. Much closer to work and, as he'd admitted on the phone last week, much cooler than being a successful trainer and lab assistant that still lived with his parents. Leon had tried to tell him that there was no shame in that and it could even be a smart financial decision but Hop would not have a bar of it, leaving Leon wondering just when his little brother had gotten so stubborn. In that same phone call he'd enlisted Leon to help move which was why he was standing awkwardly here, staring into the flat that his brother apparently wasn't even at.

He knocked again and when there was no response, jiggled the handle to see if it was locked. It turned completely and the door opened slightly before becoming stuck on the aging floorboards. He had to give it another push for it to swing open completely so he could step inside.

His first impression was that it was a typical Galarian flat, a little dated with white paint on the walls that was yellowing from years of sunlight exposure. The kitchen - from what he could tell - had been renovated recently and the fixtures were modern, bringing the place into the twenty-first century. Boxes were strewn all over the floor and a bright red shiny kettle (no doubt a gift from Victor or perhaps Marnie) sat on the counter top, catching both the sunlight and his attention. It was cosy and as he peeked around the room, he couldn't help but break into a smile. Hop was going to be very happy here.

There was a slight rustling noise in a room down the corridor and a moment later, the flat's tenant appeared, almost dropping the small box he was carrying right onto his socked feet. "Lee!" He shuffled forward as fast as he could, quickly finding a place to pop the box down so he could give Leon a hug. "Thanks for coming to help."

"Any time," He grinned, thumbing himself in the chest. "So where do you want me to start?"

As soon as the words were out, Hop promptly handed the box over and instructed Leon to start with the kitchen. Doing as he was told, he opened it up and began stacking the contents onto the bench top before decanting them into various drawers around the place. It was mostly cutlery and a few bigger utensils, and for someone who'd never had his own place before Leon couldn't help but notice that Hop certainly had a lot of kitchen items.

"Mum and dad helped out with most of the furniture yesterday," He said as he was stacking a group of plates into the cupboard under the sink. Seeing him balance six precariously on his forearms made Leon nervous and he braced himself for the inevitable shattering of china. He'd been there before. "So I only really need help unpacking. Oh and assembling the bed, I couldn't do it by myself last night so I put the mattress on the floor."

"You should have asked Sonia to help with that, she's much handier than I am. She put together our couch."

Hop looked up at him in disbelief, his mental image of his boss clearly not matching up with the idea of her being able to wield screwdrivers. "I didn't know that," He chuckled. "But I'm already inconveniencing her by taking a few days off to move, I don't wanna drag _her_ away from the lab too," His eyes had drifted from Leon now and he was looking at the kettle next to him. "Hey, you want a cuppa?"

He nodded. "Sure, but don't forget you need to boil the kettle twice before you use it for the first time."

For the _briefest_ of seconds, Leon could swear he saw Hop's eyebrows twitch and his jaw set slightly. His voice was fine though, cheery old Hop which left Leon wondering if he'd just imagined the flash of irritation. "Don't worry, I already did that Lee. I'm Galarian, I _do_ know kettle etiquette." He said while pouring the water into two mugs he'd fished out of a shelf.

One of them had a repeating pattern of wooloo and the second had a still from an exhibition match he'd had with Steven Stone from the Hoenn region a few years ago. He'd won, but only just and only because of Charizard's advantage over the steel type. The photograph had been used on all sorts of merchandise the following few months, so it wasn't surprising that Hop had it on a mug. Still though, it was strange to see again.

His staring must have been obvious and Hop glanced down at the cup, eyes widening. He quickly shoved it into the sink, hot water spilling across the counter as he did so and pulled out a different one -- this one with the Pokemon Centre logo on it. "M'sorry Lee, grabbed that one out accidentally."

"It's okay," He smiled, pushing down the weird feeling that had started to bubble up in his chest. It felt similar to when you'd see an old friend in the street or were reminded of a memory from your teenage years you'd rather forget, not painful but still unpleasant. "I just haven't seen that photo in a while is all."

And they went back to work, unpacking not only Hop's oddly large amount of kitchen utensils but also his groceries, knick knacks bought throughout his travels, linen, clothing, you name it. How many sets of sheets did one boy need? There was only one bed! He was glad he'd taken today off because Arceus, his brother had collected a lot of stuff over the years.

They'd made it to the lounge room and Hop had opened up a box of various bits and bobs. He pulled out his gym badges, now framed in a glass case so they could be displayed on a shelf (or on the wall if he wasn't renting). Leon still had his too, although he couldn't really look at them right now. It wasn't that he was upset about losing the Champion position, but for some unknown reason they'd been evoking a strong emotional reaction the past few weeks. Not sadness, but definitely something similar to the mug. He wondered if Hop felt the same, it had been his dream for a long time too.

He reached down to grab the next thing and pulled out a small photo in a frame. It was from three, no maybe four years ago and he couldn't help but break into a big grin. They were standing outside their home in Postwick, arms slung around Charizard who looked like he didn't want to be there. Both were markedly younger, his hair only reaching his shoulders and a distinct lack of murkrows feet that were so prominent these days. Hop though, was about half the height he was now and had that baby face that Leon still pictured when he thought of his brother. It was very surprising, he hadn't realised how much Hop had grown up.

"When is this from?" He asked, placing the item on the shelf next to the telly. Unfortunately looking at it from a distance didn't make it any less weird.

Hop paused, staring at the photo for a moment. "That was the visit to Postwick before the visit where you came to give us our pokemon, I'm fairly sure. It was fun, we ended up staying up late while I kicked your butt at the battle simulator game."

"Hey mate, that was _only_ because I'd never played before and _you'd_ been practicing non-stop."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say," He cackled. "Oh and you brought me that shirt with the Wyndon Stadium logo on it, remember?"

He remembered, the shirt had been a seasonal release and it had taken _ages_ to get ahold of. Though something didn't add up about the timeline...no, that couldn't be right. "But that was three years ago and you only started the gym circuit a year ago."

"Yeah, you weren't able to come home very often," He shrugged, turning back to the box. "We used to joke that you'd gotten lost on your way, but it was just easier to come visit you in Wyndon."

He looked at the photo again, this time feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. He hadn't realised it had been that infrequently that he'd gone home. It certainly hadn't been intentional, Rose just kept him so busy. Still though, he was an adult and he could have asked for more time off. Now that he thought about it, he could count on one hand how many Christmasses and birthdays he'd been in Postwick for, but had to count on more than two for Wyndon.

"Sorry, it wasn't on purpose." His throat was dry and he wondered if Hop could hear it.

"Aw, it's okay. I understood how busy you were," He answered, the smile on his face so big and so forced that Leon thought it might split his face in two. It said _I got it but it doesn't mean that I was happy about it,_ and it gut-punched him again. "I'm glad that you're going to be in Wedgehurst regularly though, we'll finally be able to catch up more."

Yeah, that was something at least.

After losing in the Champion cup, opening the Battle Tower, Rose's arrest and being questionably thrust into the Chairman position, Leon had had a hectic couple of months and if he was being honest, it hadn't hit him yet (but that was neither here nor there). After talks with the board, he'd been able to negotiate what was called a fly-in-fly-out contract, where he'd spend two weeks in Wyndon and the third week back home with Sonia in Wedgehurst. The logistics of taking a flying taxi every day from Wedgehurst to Wyndon was just too much so this had been the compromise.

Mum had cried when he'd told her about it and Hop had whooped so loudly that it had disturbed all the rookidee in town and sent them flying up into a surprised flock. He'd laughed at their overreaction at the time but upon reflection, he could now see why it was such a big deal to them. He was excited too, no more long distance phone calls to Sonia or only seeing Raihan at work events. He'd finally get some time off.

"You say that," He laughed, stepping over to ruffle Hop's hair -- something he'd always hated and apparently _still_ did judging by the pout. It was all in good fun though and he could see his brother's mouth twitching in the corners as it threatened to break and smile. He was so tall now though that Leon didn't have to bend down anymore. "But I'm going to be around so often that you'll wish I was still in Wyndon."

Hop just grinned and pushed his hand away, launching immediately into a conversation about all the work he'd been doing at the lab recently and how he was keen to come and try his hand at the Battle Tower when he had some free time. Leon added a few _oh yeah?'s_ and _is that so?'s_ but it was mainly dominated by Hop who seemed intent on making up for years of lost conversation. He'd always talked a lot though and it was comforting to see that that hadn't changed despite everything they'd been through.

Although there were a lot of new stories that Leon had never heard before, stories about trips into Motostoke with Victor, adventures in the Slumbering Weald, even a small vacation to Unova that he hadn't known about. Hop mentioned that he'd been worried about never making it as a trainer so as a fallback, had worked briefly as a kitchenhand at a small pub in Wedgehurst as a young teen. That's where he'd learnt to cook curry, he explained and then offered to cook for him later on in the week. It was all news to Leon and while he felt a surge of brotherly pride that Hop had done so much, it also concerned him how little he'd known.

Speaking of unknown things, he'd gotten to the bottom of the current box and had noticed an unidentified small white slip at the bottom. It looked like a polaroid and so he fished it out, inspecting the photo printed on the front. Victor and Hop were seated next to each other at a small table in a house he didn't recognise, with Marnie presumably behind the lens. Each boy had a beer in front of them and to the side he could see a few more discarded emptied bottles. Victor's cheeks were flushed and Hop's hair was a mess, telling Leon that it wasn't taken at the beginning of the night.

"This looks like it was a fun night," Hop turned to him, eyes widening when he saw the photo in his fingers. He made a grab for it but narrowly missed, furthering Leon's hunch that it was something he hadn't wanted him to know about. "What was going on, huh?"

"It was Victor's eighteenth back in January," He mumbled, pulling at the edge of his sleeve nervously. "It was just a little low-key celebration in Motostoke."

His mouth formed a hard line and Hop was doing all he could to look _anywhere_ else in the room besides Leon. "But Hop, you weren't eighteen until March. You shouldn't have been--"

"I know, I know!" He suddenly erupted, successfully snatching the photo away this time. "But I promise you it was _just_ the three of us and we didn't go out anywhere."

He dropped down onto Hop's small couch with a sigh. He'd be lying if he said he and Raihan hadn't done the same thing ten years ago but he thought that Hop knew better than that. Especially after everything he'd gone through, although he'd managed to keep most of that from his little brother. He didn't really like talking about it, but you probably need some context, right? So being the Champion meant extravagant parties and a neverending supply of alcohol and Leon being so young, hadn't had a lot of guidance and had fell into the trap of it all. Things had been rough for a while with the Chairman having to work his PR magic on a few occasions, but he'd made it through with the help of Sonia and Rai.

"Hop, that's not the point."

"Lee just because _you_ don't drink doesn't mean that I can't," His grip had tightened so hard on the polaroid that his knuckles were starting to pale. "It was a joint celebration anyway, Victor's birthday and his victory."

He sighed again, there was no winning this one. He knew he was probably overreacting anyway but he just didn't want Hop making those same mistakes. It was just so strange though, and he was finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that his little brother was now old enough to drink. Where had the time gone?

He stood back up, reached for a new box and said, "I was just surprised, is all." Hop's hands relaxed and he mouthed a sorry to Leon, going back to his own box. They were adults but they were still siblings and siblings fought.

Anyway, the afternoon passed and he was at the bottom of his fifty thousandth box and reached in to pull out the final item in there. It was a binder full of CDs which he looked at with a bemused expression. Why his brother still had physical _CDs_ was beyond him. Even he himself who wasn't the best with technology had switched to the streaming service Rotom Music a few years ago. Was Hop even worse at it than him? The younger generation was supposed to understand technology better (never mind the fact that there was only nine years between them).

It suddenly reminded him of something though and he had to ask, "Hey, do you still listen to Christoph?"

"Nope, haven't listened to him for years," He replied, cutting him off before he could ask the next part of the question. "Don't listen to Nancy either."

"Oh," He blinked a few times, surprisingly surprised at the information. "But you used to love--"

"I'm eighteen now, Lee."

Despite being here helping his brother move into his very first place, actually hearing the words _I'm eighteen now_ shook him and he had to pause and process them. That was only one year less than he'd been the Champion! As he let them sink in, Raihan's text from earlier flashed to the forefront of his mind, bad grammar and all.

_He's ur bro, u kno him best._

Did he? After all that had happened today he certainly didn't feel like he did and judging by Hop's expression, he'd realised it too.

"Yeah, you are. Sorry, don't know why I asked that."

"It's okay," He answered, this time with less cheeriness than before. How many times had they said that to cover for his forgetfulness over the years? No, it was neglect. Accidental neglect, but neglect nonetheless. He should have spent more time with them. "You're okay."

The atmosphere was different after that. They still spoke, albeit quieter and solely focusing on the items they were unpacking. The punched-in-the-gut feeling had never truly gone away, only getting stronger until Leon felt quite unwell. Hop was trying to keep the conversation up but his enthusiasm was gone and it did little to improve things. It wasn't his responsibility anyway, Leon was the older one and he was letting him down.

"What are you going to do for dinner?" He asked as they passed by the kitchen towards the bedroom to _finally_ put the bed together. "I see you don't have much in your pantry just yet."

"Oh yeah, I hadn't thought that far ahead yet." He replied, tugging at his sleeve again. Ah, _there_ was the difference between twenty seven and eighteen.

"We can head down to the mart after this for some groceries, my treat."

After much trial and error with different screwdrivers and attaching the wrong parts to each other, they were _finally_ done with the bed frame. Look, Leon hadn't been lying when he'd said Sonia was handy one in their relationship. As they screwed the last part of the bed frame together, Hop collapsed against the wall with an exaggerated yawn. Leon had been here since midday but Hop had been at it all day, no wonder he was so tired.

"I reckon I'm going to fall asleep on the couch as soon as you leave, Lee," He said, shutting his eyes for extra effect. "I'm cream-crackered."

"You can't half tell," He smirked. "But don't worry, I'll get out of your hair in a moment. Although I must say, I'm surprised your friends aren't here, I thought they'd be all over your new place."

He cracked an eye open and narrowed it at Leon. "They're coming tomorrow," While he seemed like he was trying to hide it, there was a hint of defensiveness in his voice. As if he thought Leon was accusing them of something. "Victor was too busy with work today and Marnie already had plans with her brother. I think they want to take me out for a celebratory dinner though, you know, for landing this place and a new job and all."

"That's nice of them, you've got good friends," Hop mumbled an _mmm_ and shut his eye again. "I hope Victor isn't getting too bogged down with work though. Make sure that he still makes time for you guys."

This time both of Hop's eyes opened and never before had Leon felt so intimidated by his own flesh and blood. What came next only served to further his guilt and admittedly, send a bit of a chill down his spine. "I mean this in the nicest way possible cause you're my bro, Lee," He hesitated, fingers pulling at a frayed edge of the carpet. "But with all due respect, you're one to talk."

**Author's Note:**

> Remember Christoph and Nancy from BW2? Anyway thank you for reading! I'll try and update soon!


End file.
